Charles Ephraim Burchfield (American, 1893-1967)
Three Ink Drawings: Lucky Birds, Forgotten, and "Howdy"
Lucky Birds signed and dated "CHARLES BURCHFIELD - JULY 1910"l.r., titled l.c.; Forgotten signed "Charles Burchfield" u.c., numbered "XV" u.r., titled l.c.; "Howdy" signed and dated "C.E. BURCHFIELD. 1910 JAN" l.r., titled l.c.
Sight sizes to 9 x 12 in. (22.7 x 30.5 cm), all framed.
Condition: Forgotten with minor toning, "Howdy" with toning and losses to three corners, not examined out of frames.
Provenance: Acquired directly from Martha Burchfield, the artist's daughter, in the early 1970s, to the current owner by family descent.
N.B. The three illustrations in this lot were done while Burchfield was a high school student. In the summer of 1911, Burchfield took a job to earn money for art school to supplement the scholarship he had received at graduation. He came down with typhoid fever and had to spend a year recuperating, during which time he delved more deeply into his study of nature. He read the works of John Burroughs and Henry David Thoreau and completed a series of watercolors of dried weeds, berries, and fruits to be used as card or calendar decorations. When he entered the Cleveland School of Art in 1912, it was his intention to become an illustrator, a plan he cast aside when he realized he wanted to paint.
Estimate $4,000-6,000
The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Condition requests can be obtained via email (lot inquiry button) or by telephone to the appropriate gallery location (Boston/617.350.5400 or Marlborough/508.970.3000). Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Skinner Inc. shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.